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The events center lease agreement between Bemidji State University and the city of Bemidji has been sent to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Bboard of Trustees for consideration. MnSCU will consider the lease during its Nov. 18-19 meeting in St.

The Cass County Sheriff's Office reports that authorities have found the body of Wilfred Kolden, 64, of Remer The body was found by ground searchers just after 9 a.m. Thursday, according to a press release from Cass County. His pickup was recovered Wednesday about 6 miles east of Remer in Chippewa National Forest; it appears that he was out bow-hunting for deer, the press release said. Kolden was reported missing last week after he had not been seen since Oct. 16. An autopsy is scheduled, but there was no sign of foul play.

Greg Negard and Rodney Witt are vying for the Ward 5 seat on the Bemidji City Council. It is the first time for both of them in seeking public office. The two have similar viewpoints about the future of the city, and particularly Ward 5. Negard cites his big issues as economic development, having a strong downtown with good-paying jobs, parks and trails, housing for the homeless, roads and infrastructure, collaboration with the county and annexation issues. "These are exciting times for Bemidji," he said.

Two first-time candidates are seeking the Ward 1 seat on the Bemidji City Council. Rachelle Houle and Kevin Waldhausen survived the primary election and are now the final two Ward 1 candidates. Both were encouraged to run by friends. "I couldn't stop thinking about it," Houle said. "I wanted to make sure I could be effective before I decided to run," said Waldhausen, who is endorsed by outgoing Ward 1 Councilor Onen Markeson. The two agree on several issues - that downtown should be revitalized and that affordable housing is needed for the city, including housing for the homeless. But it

Two aspects were new in the mayoral candidates' sixth debate Tuesday night. First, they were instructed to avoid the events center issue; and, secondly, they were given an opportunity to rebut their opponent's answers. The forum was sponsored by the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce and hosted by Chamber Chairman Mike Beard. Mayor Richard Lehmann and challenger Nancy Erickson, the current Ward 5 councilor, covered many topics during the debate, ranging from the city budget to the proposed Bemidji Area School levy (which they both supported). In describing his vision for the future of Bemidj

Chuck Stombaugh is challenging incumbent Ron Johnson for the Ward 3 seat on the Bemidji City Council. Johnson has served eight years as the Ward 3 representative and is seeking another term, he said, because there still are many important issues facing the city, including annexation, airport expansion and the south shore redevelopment. "I felt I needed to run again," he said. "We are right in the middle of a lot of big things." Johnson is a strong supporter of the events center project. Stombaugh, conversely, is opposed.

A candidate forum on Tuesday posed this question: Could Bemidji City Council candidates debate the issues facing the city without mentioning the events center? The short answer is no; the events center crept into candidates' answers a few times and candidates danced around the topic while addressing one question about conflict resolution. But, for the most part, the forum, sponsored by the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, stuck to non-events center issues. The forum was moderated by Chamber chairman Mike Beard.

The mayor's race, more so than any other, will come down to the events center. Current Ward 5 Councilor Nancy Erickson is challenging Mayor Richard Lehmann. It was her desire to halt the events center project that led Erickson to decide to run for mayor. "I believe the mayor is leading us in the wrong direction," Erickson said. For Lehmann - who has been mayor for the last eight years and a councilor for six years before that - he hopes to see the events center come to fruition during another term as mayor. "People really see this as a positive for the community," he said. Erickson, the